Kathmandu, November 4:

Annual budget of the four municipalities in the Kathmandu valley, including the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, is yet to be passed. The KMC doesn’t have any new project at hand, while the Kirtipur municipality has not done any groundwork for the same, as they were engaged in “the implementation of the election code of conduct”. However, Lalitpur sub-metropolitan city has passed the budget for the fiscal year 2007-08.

According to local authorities, eight parties should give a go-ahead for the approval of the budget of the KMC, sub-metropolitan city and municipalities.

Dinesh Thapaliya, executive office of the KMC, said the KMC was in no hurry to prepare and get the budget passed, as it had no new project at hand. “Delay in approval of the budget doesn’t hamper administrative work of the KMC.”

Ram Lal Shrestha, Kirtipur muncipality’s executive officer, said the municipality could not do enough groundwork on the budget as officials were busy in implementing the poll code of conduct, adding the municipality would launch a new project — Urban Poverty Reduction Programme — in coordination with aid agencies once the budget is passed.

Stating that the Madhyapur Thimi Municipality had prepared the budget, Govinda Singh Bhandari, executive officer of the municipality, said the municipality was planning to call a meeting of the eight parties on November 8 to discuss the budget and get their approval.

Bhaktapur municipality is another local body, which is yet to get the budget approved.